With devotion to service, East Boston fixture no longer fits in

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Al’s Shoe Store in East Boston is closing after 90 years in business. Owners Henry Wein (pictured), age 91, and his son, Bob, are sad to have to close the store. Its last day open is Sunday, March 30.
Al’s Shoe Store in East Boston is closing after 90 years in business. Owners Henry Wein (pictured), age 91, and his son, Bob, are sad to have to close the store. Its last day open is Sunday, March 30.

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Over the years, Al’s sold saddle oxfords, Mary Janes, Beatles boots, wedges, disco heels, Keds. During the shop’s heyday, the customers were mostly large Italian or Irish families, which, felicitously for Henry Wein, meant many pairs of feet.

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Al’s Shoe Store is 90 years old, just like Henry. Now in its fourth location -- three on Meridian, and for the last 14 years, on Border Street -- it specializes in what he describes as “medium to inexpensive shoes.”

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A family would come in and Wein would measure all their feet -- length and width -- with his “Brannock,” a metal foot measuring device named after the inventor. Whatever Henry recommended, the dad bought.

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But 10 or 15 years ago, the business began to change. Manufacturing went overseas, which irked Henry, who said the quality of the shoes went down. The neighborhood and buying habits changed, too. Pictured: Henry finishes stomping down empty shoe boxes into a bigger box.

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The “Store Closing” signs went up about a month ago, and everything was discounted by 50 percent. By the end of the week, almost nothing was left except some 20 pairs of kids’ shoes, and rows of spit-shined white baby shoes, reduced from $45 to $5. Pictured: Henry holds open the door for customer Adriana Torres from East Boston as she leaves with her purchases.

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